OF CREATIONS, I AM THE BEGINNING, AND THE END, AND THE MIDDLE TOO — Here there is an echo of the general statement with which the Lord started His discourse earlier in the chapter (X-20), for enumerating His infinite glories. However, therein He had explained how He was the Essential Stuff in all individual beings; and here it is a more universal statement by which He indicates how He is the Essence in all Creation.

No substance can ever remain divorced from the essential stuff of which it is made. No gold ornament can be made without the metal, gold. No wave from the ocean can be packed separately for the Himalayas. No mud-pot can exist, divorced from the mud. The MATERIAL-cause is the unavoidable essence in all the names and forms, and nothing can ever remain divorced from its own essential-essence. By the above statement, the Lord is indicating that He, as the Self-in-all, is “the beginning, the end and the middle too” of all things in the Universe. The names and forms have arisen from Him, are supported by Him, and they can only merge back into Him when they are destroyed.

The science that explains that Knowledge-Principle, without which no other ‘KNOWLEDGE OF THINGS’ is ever possible, and which, playing upon the field-of-things, accomplishes our knowledge of them, should necessarily be the Science-of-all-sciences, the best Knowledge. In sunlight, all objects are illumined. Sunlight reflected upon the non-luminous objects of the world makes them perceptible. Naturally, the Sun is the “eye of all eyes,” the source of all perceptions. Similarly, the “Science-of-Spirituality” is explained as the “Science-of-all-sciences.”

OF ARGUMENTS I AM ‘VAADA’ — The term Pravadatam used here, should be understood by us, according to Shankara, as the various forms of arguments. Three types of approaches are often used in all discussions, in all walks of life. In Jalpa, the attempt is to smother the opposition and its arguments by vehement criticism and bitter rejoinders, spoken with an overbearing arrogance in assertions. In the case of Vitanda, the champion of discussion mercilessly criticises the arguments of the opposition, exposing by means, fair or foul, both the real and the imaginary fallacies in their line of arguments; the aim beings to destroy the edifice, built by the other. The third, Vaada, is the technique of discussion by which the one arguing is trying to read the letter and the verse as directly as possible, with the object of coming directly to truth, without indulging in any hair-splitting arguments. It is evident, therefore, that both the former techniques (Jalpa and Vitanda) are only strategies to weaken the enemies, while the actual thrust into the enemy lines and the ultimate real conquest is only through Vaada.

FURTHER:

O Arjuna sarganam, of creations; I am the adih, beginning; ca, and ; he antah, end; ca eva, as also; the madhyam, middle-I am the origin, continuance and dissolution. At the commencement (verse 20) origin, end, etc. only of things possessed of souls were spoken of, but here the mention is of all creations in general. This is the difference. Vidyanam, among knowledges; I am the adhyatma-vidya, knowledge of the Self, it being the foremost because of its leading to liberation. Pravadatam, of those who debate; aham, I; am vadah, Vada, which is preeminent since it is a means to determining true purport. Hence I am that . By the word pravadatam are here meant the different kinds of debate held by debators, viz Vada, Jalpa, and Vitanda. [Vada: discussion with open-mindedness, with a veiw to determining true purport; jalpa: pointless debate; Vitanda: wrangling discussion. [Jalpa is that mode of debate by which both parties establish their own viewpoint through direct and indirect proofs, and refute the view of the opponent through circumvention (Chala) and false generalization (Jati) and by pointing out unfitness (of the opponent) tobe argued with (Nigraha-sthana). But where one party establishes his viewpoint, and the other refutes it through circumvention, false generalization and showing the unfitness of the opponent to be argued with, without establishing his own views, that is termed Vitanda. Jalpa and Vitanda result only in a trial of streangth between the opponents, who are both desirous of victory, But the result of Vada is the ascertainment of truth between the teacher and the disciple or between others, both unbiased.-Gloss of Sridhara Swami on this verse.]-Tr.]